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nothing too hard for God and that God’s woi;d could not fail. 3. May We Reverently Say That God’s Faith Triumphed Too? He had called this man from an idolatrous home, He had had him in training for years. This was the supreme test, and Abraham did not fail God. God knew that Abraham would not fail, but Abraham had to have the development that could' only come through the testing. He had to find out that he could trust God to do the seemingly impossible, and the world had to find out what faith a surrendered man is capable of, how far a man can go with God. Have you ever tried to imagine the joy that filled God’s heart when Abraham proved true? Have you ever given God occasion to rejoice over your faith? 4. Abraham’s Testimony. Abraham has left it on record, out of his own great experience that “ the Lord will provide.” The revised vers ion renders this “ In the mount of the Lord it shall be provided.” Can you give a like testimony to God’s faith fulness? Read the closing verses of the incident, vs. 15-19. The renewed promise on God’s part and- the return of Abraham and Isaac to the young men as Abraham had foretold, and the joyful journey home. IV. God’s Gift to Abraham and Us. Have the class look up the following verses and let the teacher make a per sonal appeal to the scholars to accept God’s gift. John 3:16; Isa. 53:6; 1 Pet. 2:24; Matt. 20:28; Gal. 1:4; 2: 20; 1 Tim. 2:6; Rom. 6:23. “ The Trial of a True Heart” would be a good theme for this lesson. We have God probing and proving, Abra ham obeying and pleasing, and God pre venting and pro- HEART OF THE viding. LESSON The lesson is PRACTICAL POINTS full of dramatic incidents and the
this was resurrection faith. See Heb. 11:17-19. It was not that God could or would give him another son, instead of Isaac, hut that God would give him Isaac back again from the dead, for God’s promise could not fail. How small our faith seems in the face of such faith as this. 4. His promise. Who can fail to see in Isaac, with the wood for his own sacrifice on his back, an illustration of that other Son, who went to Calvary “ bearing His cross.” The son carried the wood, but the father carried the fire. Only then did the son ask any question as to where the sacrifice was. What a beautiful promise there is in Abraham’s answer “ God will provide Himself a lamb for a burnt offering;” and it seems to have satisfied the son completely. We would not like to press the words too far, hut are they not at least suggestive of that marvel ous truth that God’s lamb was to be God, Himself, in the person of His Son? Wonderfully did God redeem Abraham’s promise, that very day; but much more wonderfully did He redeem it 2000 years after. HI. The Faith Triumphant. 1. Isaac’s Faith Triumphant All the Way Along. He had perfect confidence in his lather and in his father’s promise. The strong young man offered no resistance at all to the aged father when he bound him and laid him on the altar, upon the wood. What a fore-shadowing of the other Son who would say “ not My will but Thine be done.” “ I rejoice to do Thy will.” 2. Abraham’s Faith Also Triumph ant Continually. No hesitation, no faltering, no doubt. He could not understand how God’s promise concerning the blessing that should come through Isaac would be carried out, were Isaac slain by his hand, but he knew that there was
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